Chapter 3, Problem 1P

Summary Introduction

To determine:

The unit of measurement that is used for describing a cell size.

Introduction:

Cells can vary in sizes and are measured in units known as micrometers. 1 micrometer is equals to one thousand millimeters.

Explanation of Solution

The unit used to measure the size of a cell is micrometer. The symbol of the micrometer is $\mu \text{m}$. The variable sizes of the cells can be measured in micrometers. The size of a human cell is about 140 $\mu \text{m}$ and it can only be seen through a microscope.

The human body is made up of various types of blood cells and muscle cells which are different in sizes and shapes. A red blood cell is almost $7.5\mu \text{m}$ and white blood cell is $10\text{-}12\mu \text{m}$ in size. There is a huge difference in the sizes of various types of muscle cells.

Conclusion

The sizes can vary from one cell to another cell in micrometers, which is symbolized as $\mu \text{m}$.